OBJECTIVETo screen for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC)-associated long non-coding RNAs (lncRNA) and identify oncogenic lncRNA contributing to ESCC pathogenesis.

METHODSA lncRNA array containing 7419 lncRNA was used to detect the transcriptional profiles of lncRNA of four pairs of ESCC and matched normal esophageal tissue. Bioinformatic analysis was employed to identify differentially expressed ESCC associated lncRNA (ESCCAL). Quantitative real-time PCR was used to verify selected dysregulated lncRNA on independent ESCC samples.

RESULTSGenome-wide transcriptome profiling (coding and or noncoding RNA transcripts) was able to distinguish ESCC from normal tissue. Among these, bioinformatic analysis has identified 154 differentially expressed ESCC associated lncRNA (ESCCALs), which included 111 downregulated and 43 upregulated lncRNA in ESCC relative to the normal tissue (P< 0.01). The highest upregulated lncRNA (ESCCAL_1) and known onco-lncRNA HOTAIR was further verified in 26 paired ESCC samples. ESCCAL_1 and HOTAIR were found to be highly expressed in 17 ESCC and 18 ESCC compared with normal esophageal tissues.

CONCLUSIONThis investigation has revealed large scale aberrant expression of lncRNA in ESCC. About 70% of novel lncRNA-ESCCAL_1, together with a known lncRNA-HOTAIR, are highly expressed in ESSC, suggesting that ESCCAL_1 and HOTAIR may participate in the pathological process of ESCC. Furthermore, lncRNA could be potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for ESCC.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; genetics ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Genome-Wide Association Study ; methods ; Humans ; Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis ; Prognosis ; RNA, Long Noncoding ; genetics ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and genotypes of human rhinovirus (HRV) in patients with upper respiratory tract infection in Qingdao in the winter of 2020.Methods:Throat swab samples were collected from 101 patients with upper respiratory tract infection in Qingdao from November 2020 to January 2021. Quantitative PCR was used to detect 15 common respiratory viruses in the samples. HRV-positive samples were further analyzed with RT-PCR to amplify and sequence HRV VP4/VP2 gene. A phylogenetic tree was constructed based on the sequencing results and homology analysis was conducted.Results:Six common respiratory viruses were detected in the 101 patients. Thirty-four cases (34/101, 33.66%) were single pathogen infection and two cases were multiple infection (2/101, 1.98%). The positive rate of HRV was the highest (21.78%, 22/101). Twenty HRV VP4/VP2 sequences were successfully amplified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that there were 16 strains of HRV-A subtype and four strains of HRV-C subtype and 14 serotypes were involved.Conclusions:HRV was one of the leading viral pathogens causing upper respiratory tract infection in Qingdao in the winter of 2020 and the predominant subtype was HRV-A.